Live Export Industry: Value, Outlook and Contribution to Economy
This independent report by Hassall & Associates Australia, commissioned by MLA and LiveCorp, confirms Australia’s livestock export industry is vital to the Australian economy.
The report found that the live export industry generates $1.8 billion a year in gross domestic product to the economy and employs nearly 13,000 Australians (up from 9,000 in 1999), with annual wages totalling nearly $1 billion.
It concludes that cessation of livestock exports would have an immediate adverse impact on the sheep and cattle industries, as well as a longer term structural impact.
Download the report:
Live Export Industry: Value, Outlook and Contribution to the Economy (PDF, 1MB)
Executive Summary (PDF, 180KB)
Live Export Standards Report
The Live Export Standards Report has compared the livestock export standards in all countries that participate significantly in the trade.
The report was commissioned primarily for the purpose of benchmarking Australian livestock export standards.
The benchmarking process revealed that Australia has the world's highest livestock export standards in terms of:
1) coverage (of species and phases of transportation)
2) capacity to deliver acceptable outcomes (measured against animal welfare indicators).
The study identified a significant diversity in the quality of livestock export standards around the world. For some export nations, no evidence of standards could be found.
The report provides an independent assessment and rating of the current standards in Australia - and can be validated by using the website addresses listed in the tables and appendices of the report.
These details, combined with the discussions throughout the report (particularly in regard to key aspects of an effective regulatory framework) may serve as a platform for other countries to develop and enhance their own standards and assist in efforts to harmonise standards globally.
The comparison process serves to highlight the role of standards in a complex industry where high-level and ongoing cooperation is required between operators, independent auditors and government officers.
World Livestock Export Standards - Report (PDF, 293KB)